By Abbas Nazil
A dispute over the definition of gender has emerged at the COP30 climate talks in Brazil, potentially complicating negotiations on the international stage.
Six governments, including Paraguay, Argentina, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Holy See, have sought to attach their own interpretations of gender as footnotes to a key text, a move negotiators warn could block recognition of trans and non-binary people and set a harmful precedent.
Sources close to the talks expressed frustration over the proliferation of footnotes, noting that six currently exist with the potential for many more, which could undermine collective decision-making.
Mexico’s environment secretary Alicia Barcena criticised the move, saying it represented a step backward and undermined progress on gender equality in climate policy.
The Brazilian presidency has escalated the matter from technical discussions to a higher political level, with ministers attempting to negotiate a compromise.
Central to the debate is the Gender Action Plan (GAP), designed to guide climate programs for the next decade and mainstream gender considerations across initiatives.
Women and girls face disproportionate impacts from climate change, particularly due to poverty and dependence on natural resources, yet they account for just 35 percent of COP30 delegates, according to the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO).
The footnotes reveal the red lines of countries opposed to broad definitions of gender, with the Holy See affirming a binary, biologically based interpretation, while Argentina has rolled back gender-equality and LGBT policies under a conservative government.
Experts argue that allowing countries to reinterpret agreed language threatens multilateralism and that existing frameworks already permit national flexibility without footnotes.
A potential solution is for dissenting countries to issue statements post-adoption, ensuring their positions are recorded while preserving the integrity of negotiated agreements.
COP30 continues to grapple with balancing inclusivity, international standards, and political pressures, with the outcome of the GAP negotiations critical for the next decade of climate policy.
